


Love, Love, Love

by EryiScrye (SomberSecrets)



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Based on the Friends Storyline, Different Friends-verse than Last Time, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 19:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21379501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomberSecrets/pseuds/EryiScrye
Summary: When the light flickered on, Brienne startled, dropped all of her mail, and nearly screamed at the sight of Jaime sitting on the red leather couch, listlessly staring at the ceiling with his cell phone loosely cradled in one hand. “What in all names are you doing, sitting in the dark like a golden goblin?” Brienne wheezed as she held a hand to her heart.Jaime rolled his head towards her, his cheek pressing to the couch, and gave her a weak smile. “The fertility clinic called.”
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 18
Kudos: 125





	Love, Love, Love

Brienne opened the door to the apartment and absentmindedly felt around on the wall beside the doorframe for the light switch as she fanned out the mail in her other hand. For the first time in a long time, the multiple bills in her fingers didn’t fill her with a sense of dread. They had savings. They actually had money for not just a rainy day, but a sunny day as well.

When the light flickered on, Brienne startled, dropped all of her mail, and nearly screamed at the sight of Jaime sitting on the red leather couch, listlessly staring at the ceiling with his cell phone loosely cradled in one hand. “What in all names are you doing, sitting in the dark like a golden goblin?” Brienne wheezed as she held a hand to her heart.

Jaime rolled his head towards her, his cheek pressing to the couch, and gave her a weak smile. “The fertility clinic called.”

Brienne’s mouth formed an “O” shape and she quietly closed the door behind her and kicked the mail to the side. She would take care of that later. There were more important matters at hand, “Good news I hope,” she chirped, plastering on a fake smile that almost instantly melted away “Of course it’s not good news, you wouldn’t be acting like a goblin if it was good news.”

Jaime shook his head slowly, “No. I’m sorry.”

Brienne pursed her lips as she heard how wet his voice had so suddenly become. He had gone away inside until she had come home. She immediately rushed to his side and sat down next to him and wrapped him up in her arms, “Let’s hear it then,” Brienne choked as she cradled Jaime’s head in the crook of her shoulder, feeling his body tremble against hers, and stared at the ceiling so that the tears which had gathered in her eyes wouldn’t fall, “I’m barren aren’t I? Connington was right all along and never deserved—“

“Connington deserved every lost tooth and more where I’m concerned,” Jaime growled wrapping his arms around Brienne and clutching desperately at the wool jacket at Brienne’s back. After a beat, “You’re not barren Brienne. You’re fertile. Extremely fertile actually. The nurse said that you could expect fraternal twins one in every five births. I was right… am right, you’re perfect… even at popping out babies… if you wanted to.”

Brienne blinked a couple times to clear the tears and then gently pulled away, making sure to keep contact with Jaime the whole time, “Then… what’s the problem Jaime?”

Jaime gave her that sad smile again as a single tear ran down his cheek followed by another and another, “Isn’t it obvious wench?”

Brienne shook her head slowly keeping her eyes trained on Jaime’s through her lashes.

“It’s me. The problem is always me.”

“Impossible. In every way. Impossible.”

“They think it’s from the radiation and chemotherapy I had as a teenager.”

Brienne expelled a breath, “But… but Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen.”

Jaime closed his eyes and nodded, “But Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen,” he said with a heavy sigh and a heavy heart.

Brienne’s blue eyes widened, “Oh gods.”

Jaime clenched his fists and his face screwed up in abject hurt, “After all of those custody battles and the hell I put us both through… and they were never mine to begin with.”

Brienne brought Jaime close again, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry your sister is such a… a…”

Jaime found the energy to snort as he nuzzled his nose into Brienne’s temple, “Manipulative bitch?”

Brienne tried to smile through the tears, through Jaime’s attempt to not be devastated. “I was looking for something worse to describe her.”

Jaime held Brienne tighter and buried his face into her shoulder. Brienne nestled her nose into his neck. After a moment she heard him murmur again, “I’m sorry Brienne.”

“I’m sorry too.”

Jaime choked on a sob, “I don’t know what to do.”

“We’re…” Brienne pressed her lips together and nodded, rubbing Jaime’s back and holding him tighter, “We’re going to figure this out. We’re going to figure this out together.”

* * *

“Why don’t you just ask Renly or Loras?”

“Jaime.”

“I’m sure they would love the opportunity to have mini versions of themselves running around.”

“Jaime.”

“Though I hope they would look a lot more like you.”

“Oh for Sevens…”

“Maybe you could ask Stannis.”

“Stannis?!?”

“If you wanted a dour kid.”

“If we wanted, Jaime.”

“Or maybe even Hyle, fucking, Cunt.”

“Did you actually just say his name in this conversation?”

“Just… just don’t choose Tormund.”

“You draw the line at Tormund, but not Hyle?”

“That bearded lumberjack would be too happy to offer a direct deposit.”

“Okay,” Brienne slammed both of her hands on their kitchen table and shot to her feet, “I’m going to stop you right there Jaime.”

“I’m not saying that you’re going to let him, Brienne. I’m saying that I don’t like that he—“

“Jaime, just shut up the fuck up for one second.”

Jaime’s eyes widened before he brought his hand to his mouth and made the motion of zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Brienne noted that he had made no locking motion.

Brienne rolled her eyes and bent down to kiss him on the corner of his lips where his infuriating smirk was already re-appearing. “I’ve already made my decision.” Jaime opened his mouth. “I said shush!” Jaime closed it again. Brienne expelled a breath and then her eyes softened. She moved her chair so that it was beside Jaime’s by hooking her ankle around one of the legs and then sat back down, taking one of Jaime’s hands in hers. She ran her thumbs nervously over his knuckles.

Brienne expelled another breath as words seemed to physically roll around on her tongue. Jaime waited, although fairly impatiently, but he knew when to try and behave.

“I’ve decided that I don’t want to have a kid unless they’re your kid.”

“Brienne—“

Brienne covered his mouth with one of her hands, “Let me speak. I don’t want to have a kid unless they’re your kid, but I still want to raise a kid, or maybe two or three with you.”

“Oh,” Jaime said, muffled behind Brienne’s hand.

Brienne gave him a smile, and lowered her hand, “What do you think about adoption?”

“I think I want to raise a kid or maybe two or three or seven with you.”

“Not seven.”

“You’re right, not seven.”

“Not eight either.”

“But Brienne!” Jaime whined.

“Maybe six. If you behave.”

“Gods, I love you.”

* * *

“Please. Please wait!”

Sansa kept on walking even while she shouted back, “Why should I?”

“Sansa, you have every reason to be upset—“

Sansa spun on her heel, “He said he was a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador and you said you were a… a…”

Brienne winced, “An actor.” It was beyond Brienne how it was that Sansa had believed that particular piece of information after seeing her in the flesh.

“But MMA fighters? My brother died in an MMA fight,” Sansa screamed and tugged at her hair, “You knew this. You knew him!”

Brienne waved her hands frantically, “I didn’t know Robb, not really. I’m sorry though, I really am. His loss was tragic and the sport learned a lot from it.”

"Bolton worked for your husband’s father.”

“And Jaime broke away from his father when Tywin refused to acknowledge—“ Brienne began, “No shoot. This isn’t about Jaime. The point is that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for your loss. No matter what happened after, your brother still lost his life and I’m so sorry for that. I’m also sorry that we lied to you.”

Sansa teared up and her hands trembled in fury, “Why? Why did you lie to me?”

Brienne bit her lip, “Because you look just like your brother and just because we didn’t know him didn’t mean we didn’t know _of _him,” Brienne winced as she glanced away for just a moment before she steeled herself to stare into Sansa’s eyes, knowing that the pregnant girl deserved the truth, “And because before we found out we couldn’t have a baby, we had been trying for two years and it’s been another two years since we registered with the adoption agency and I know it’s wrong… but we just… we just didn’t know when we would have another chance again.” Brienne’s shoulders dropped, “Before all of this we both dreamed about having a giant family and now it’s a struggle to just have even one child and when we finally got that call saying that someone had chosen us… we just…” Despite her best efforts Brienne looked away, “I know we went too far.”

After a beat of silence, Sansa whispered, “You know… I really liked you two.”

“We’re still the same two people, if not a little bit morally gray than yesterday,” Brienne laughed dryly, “Please consider us Sansa. Other than our jobs, everything else we told you about us was true. Everything else you know about us is true.”

Sansa gave a small, albeit reluctant, smile, “I was thinking that Jaime was a little bit too much of a dick to be a Goodwill Ambassador.”

Brienne broke out in a large smile and nodded, “My husband is infuriating, but he’s the best man I’ve ever known. He loves unconditionally and doesn’t care about physical appearances. I mean look at me,” Brienne began to tear up and waved off Sansa’s attempt to deny the implication, “And if you ever meet his brother, Tyrion will tell you how although it mattered to everyone else that he was born with dwarfism, it never mattered to Jaime. Jaime loved him all the same. And by the Seven, Jaime’ll love our child… our children, so much, no matter what. They’ll never be starved of affection. They’ll never have to question whether or not there is someone out there who loves them, because he will. He will.”

“Brienne…”

Brienne used the back of her hands to wipe away the tears dripping from her chin, “And don’t ever tell him I told you this, but he’s a better MMA fighter than I am, just so much better.” Sansa swayed on her feet. “I love Jaime more than anything in the world and I know how much it hurt him to learn that he could never father a child.”

Sansa’s eyes widened in realization.

“I really want children. And when that day comes, I think I can be a good mother,” Brienne chewed on her lower lip as she thought about how Jaime had treated Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen, how he still treated Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen even though he knew they weren’t his, “But Jaime, Jaime is already a father… a father without any children. Please… please take all the time you need, say no if you truly feel like we aren’t the ones, but please just… just consider us.”

* * *

“Remember Sansa’s coming by today to tour around the Stormlands.”

Jaime’s head snapped up and he blinked owlishly at Brienne, his glasses sliding down the perfect bridge of his nose, “But… but you’re working today.”

Brienne laughed and kissed him on the nose, pushing his glasses back up his face, “I know.”

“So?”

“So.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m dead serious.”

“Are you trying to blow up this adoption process?” Jaime demanded.

“I think you two will have a great time together.”

“Brienne,” Jaime muttered as he closed his book. Brienne shucked on her jacket, “Wifey,” Jaime stood up as Brienne rummaged for her keys in the key bowl, “Wench!” Jaime dived to try and grab her.

Brienne slipped out the door, “See you after work!” she shouted from down the hall. Jaime watched Sansa step around the corner and pause, “Oh hi Sansa, have a great day with Jaime!” Sansa blinked, wide eyed, at where Brienne had disappeared into the stairwell before she robotically turned to where Jaime was gaping at her from the apartment door in his cartoon yawning (he insisted they were roaring) lion boxer briefs that Brienne had bought for him as a gift and a worn, comfy, white tee.

“Um… hi.”

“Mother, Maiden, and Crone,” Sansa swore.

* * *

Brienne slowly opened the apartment door and saw that the lights were off, but that the blue glow from the television was on. She pushed open the door a little bit further to see that the floor was absolutely littered in bags of Stormlands souvenirs, bags of post-pregnancy clothes and products, and a bag or two of snacks. A Netflix romantic comedy was playing on their large flat screen TV and Sansa and Jaime were sitting on the couch quietly bickering about which male lead would get the girl while Sansa seemed to unconsciously and continually pick up Jaime’s hand and move it around on her pregnant belly. He would pause mid argument and squirm in excitement every time he felt a kick.

Brienne’s heart warmed. Brienne had spent a lot of time with Sansa since she had officially chosen them several weeks after the incident. It had been a month where Sansa had met a couple other families, but when she had come back to them in the end, at least Jaime and Brienne felt like they had actually earned Sansa’s true approval and trust. Jaime had spent less time with Sansa, feeling more ashamed since he had been the one to insist they lie to the girl about their jobs, but in getting to know Sansa, Brienne had surmised that the two were probably more alike than either would ever care to admit.

Now, seeing them comfortable together on the couch, Jaime bewildered by her easy affection and Sansa delighted by his pure joy, Brienne had zero doubts that she had done the right thing.

When Jaime noticed that Brienne was back, he perked up like a dog and jogged over to her to envelope her in a hug and kiss her on the cheek, “Welcome home wifey,” he grinned.

“How was your day?” Brienne asked.

Sansa and Jaime exchanged a look. “It was great,” they grinned in unison.

Brienne’s smile fell; maybe they had gotten along too well.

* * *

They had gotten along too well.

It was basically catastrophic without actually destroying anything. Sansa moved to the Stormlands the next month on Jaime’s insistence so that she wouldn’t have to travel so close to her due date and somehow Jaime had managed to secure an apartment in the same building so that they would never be too far away if Sansa needed help.

Sansa had essentially become the sister that Jaime had, but never quite had and Jaime had become the brother that Sansa had loved and lost. They had found family in each other, but now just like families were wont to do, they were aggravatingly silly.

“Brienne!” Jaime whined as he searched through their washroom cabinet.

“Hm?” Brienne asked as she typed away on her laptop.

“Sansa stole my hair spray again.”

“Then go ask for it back.”

“She’s just going to say that it’s hers and then use the pregnant card.”

“Do we need a label maker?”

“Why are you such an old woman?”

“You’re the grown man using the same brand of hair spray as a girl in her early 20’s.”

“Touché.”

* * *

“One,” Jaime counted nuzzling the little nose in his arms, “Two,” he slid over to Brienne and the baby in her arms and kissed the baby’s forehead as Brienne tried not to cry, “And three,” Jaime cooed as he bent down and gently booped the baby lying on Sansa’s chest on the foot with his nose. He looked up at Brienne with shining emerald eyes, “Three Brienne! Three!”

“And no more!” Sansa whisper screamed as she looked at the new parents with wide eyes, “This is why women have ultra sounds!”

“All the women in my life are absurdly fertile and I’m here with my dead testicles,” Jaime sing songed to the child in his arms, who opened and closed her mouth as though she wanted join along.

At Sansa’s glare, Brienne laughed, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he won’t sing that as a lullaby.”

“He better not.”

Jaime sidled up to Brienne again, “Brienne, I think we’re going to need a bigger place.”

Brienne smiled, “I think so too.”

Jaime beamed at her. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Brienne nodded and rested her forehead against Jaime’s. They shared a breath and together they thought of Tarth.

**Author's Note:**

> Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen live with Stannis. Robert died and what happened to Cersei? Who knows. Who's their real father? Only Cersei knows and I don't know where she is.
> 
> Sansa discovers she's bisexual when she watches a video of Jaime and Brienne training one time and totally shame watches all of their past and present MMA fights, while still vehemently denying her love for the sport in general.
> 
> For those who are curious, Podrick was the baby daddy.
> 
> On Tarth, Uncle Tyrion, Auntie Sansa, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen visit often. So Jaime kind of gets his eight.
> 
> NaNoWriMo is really feeding my creative juices for stories that aren't my main NaNoWriMo story.


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